Reset!
by Oceans of Abstract Colors
Summary: Perfection was not what she was after, it was pride. That's why these things are happening to her. And so here comes the advice of an unexpected friend.


"_Meanie! Try looking at yourself first… Well, if it isn't Miss Natalie I-majored-in-making-my-own-decisions Kabra... So, you actually think you're _that_ beautiful? …Miss Kabra, you are late again!"_

All of them hovered in Natalie Kabra's mind. She was sitting at a bench outside the middle school campus, waiting for someone. Holding her expensive bag, she sighed and pursed her lips. It has been a very long day—a day of mistakes, which means, imperfection. She wasn't doing it the Kabra way. It made her wonder…

_Is it about mother? Am I missing her? Can't I handle myself without her? Am I really like this? Did the clue hunt trigger something inside me? What's happening to me?_

She accidentally wore the same clothes twice, came to school late that morning, forgot her English book, screamed at her classmate for telling her that her shoes were not the latest trend anymore…and many others. Actually, Natalie didn't regret screaming at her classmate; she did it all the time. But, it seemed like doing that made the world around her fall apart. Her teacher gave her a short sermon regarding it. She hated those. She did so many wrong things that day.

Suddenly, Sophie Watson, her classmate and fellow Cahill, stepped out from the main building's entrance door and approached a weeping Natalie. When she saw her, she sat beside her immediately. Silently sobbing, Natalie said, "Go away. I don't need you to calm me." Sophie let out a sympathetic look and sighed, "Well, I guess. What's wrong, anyway? You really look down. Hey, c'mon, we have a project to do. Cheer up, already." She smiled and patted Natalie's back. "You don't care," Natalie whispered. She wiped her face with a handkerchief and stood up. "Let's just go to the café now," she told Sophie and began walking.

* * *

The two arrived at the café and found a table for themselves. Natalie ordered frappe for the both of them. Sophie kept looking at Natalie, whose face kept blank for the entire walk to the place. "Did you hear what those people said to me? What the heck," she said, trying to keep her face still. "I'm sick of their insults."

Sophie was flipping through her book and writing on a yellow pad. She looked at Natalie again and pointed her pencil at her. "What's wrong?" Her eyes narrowed. "Tell me already."

Natalie folded her arms across her chest. She frowned and looked at her silk brown dress and black flats. She told Sophie what happened awkwardly. "I don't know. Am I…making a little too much mistakes? I really don't get it. It wasn't like this before." She stared hard at Sophie. "Get it now? I'm completely being a disgrace. No Kabra is ever like this."

Sophie laughed upon hearing and dropped her pencil. "What? No Kabra is ever like that? I mean seriously, Nat, no person is _never _like that."

"What do you mean?" Natalie replied as the waiter came to serve their drinks. She looked at the man and nodded as thanks. She took as small sip from her chocolate one. "I'm talking about my family here. Kabras don't like making mistakes and stuff."

"Nobody does, too, I guess; although, we really can't help it. Everyone makes mistakes." Sophie sipped from her mocha frappe and smiled. "Don't you know that?"

"Of course I do," Natalie said. "I just don't like it." She grabbed Sophie's pencil and started writing on the yellow pad. "This is supposed to be Wolfgang, not Wolfram, Sophie. I thought you were a Janus." She sneered. "I asked you to be with me for the research because you know a lot about this man. I mean, we know the same. I want this research project to be an A++. Get over the hunt."

"Oh," Sophie chuckled, realizing her mistake, "Sorry." She erased it and blew the dust off. "Wolfgang…" she said as she was writing the new word. "Okay, so about that, what's so wrong about making mistakes besides that it's not the Kabra way?"

"Well, I guess they're the reputations they'll give you, the fact that people will always remind you of it, trying to act nice to make up for it, the difficulty of apologizing, the guilt…"

"Stop," Sophie cut her off. "I know now. I feel that way, too." She continued drinking and started scooping up the whipped cream with her straw. "But you know what? It's alright. You're actually beginning to be better. I like that."

"How come?" Natalie asked, trying to clarify. She thought for a while, looking at the yellow pad Sophie was working on. _She didn't take it seriously when I told her about her error. Is that what's wrong with me?_ "Alright, I get it now. I'm now more aware. What does that mean, anyway?"

"You're becoming a better you, like I said. You should stop thinking about your mistakes, honey, 'because not everyone remembers them. And everyone makes mistakes. It's just normal. It doesn't matter if it's the Kabra way or not, what matters is it's the Life way."

Natalie can't believe she's taking advice from someone she hardly even knew. She wanted to cover her ears but…she wanted to listen, too. She thought what Sophie was saying is really…true.

"Do you still remember what I did during PE last week?" Sophie asked. Natalie shook her head, "No." She sipped from her drink.

"See? Like that. They'll forget about what you did today overnight. Let's say, tomorrow, it's a new day for you. It's another day, and I'm sure you'll make mistakes again, but, believe me—they've forgotten that you were late this morning, you wore that outfit again, and that your shoes are out-of-style…" Sophie stared at her. "When you go to bed, those things will be erased. Tomorrow, a new day, it's like a reset, where you can start all over again and make up for your mistakes."

Natalie sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well…"

Sophie continued writing. Natalie grabbed her hand and laughed. "Sophie…wouldn't you mind being…I don't know, 'friends?'"

The blonde girl looked up smiled. "He-he, well…" she laughed…and nodded.

* * *

Natalie's façade suddenly hid her smiling heart._ She was right. A new day will be a reset. If I want to be me, I won't mind my mistakes. They're completely normal. And you can get over it. Reputations like "Miss Natalie I-majored-in-making-my-own-decisions Kabra?" No more. Tomorrow, they won't know me as the girl who wore the same outfit twice and came to school late. Just wait and see. I'm a Kabra, but I'm still a person…just because there is a trace of imperfection inside me, it doesn't mean I'm not one. I'll make all the Kabras proud…by being me. Thanks to Sohpie, I realized that._

* * *

**A/N:** This story, my first oneshot, is inspired by my mistakes. I realized one day that no matter how many mistakes you made that day, it will never hold on to you. I chose Natalie because she's the "miss perfection" among the 39 Clues characters. I love her because of that. The song, "Ne Tou Ge De Reset" (Japanese, anime soundtrack) inspired me, too. Its lyrics, when translated in English, say, _"To my mistakes, goodnight…Surely when I wake up next morning, everyone will have forgotten…To my mistakes, don't mind…I would be sleeping on the clouds, a new day is a reset!"_ Kawaii.


End file.
